Five ways Internet of Things influences your daily life

he Internet of Things (IoT) is a difficult concept for many people to wrap their minds around. Essentially, the IoT consists of technologically advanced objects that have the ability to transmit information, and potentially even sense, monitor and react to human behaviour.

Most discussions about the IoT revolve around how it will come to affect our lives over the coming decades. But few realise how much of an impact the IoT already has on our daily lives.

Here are five ways the IoT already affects our lives today:

1. Transportation

AT&T just added 2.1 million new wireless lines last quarter, but only about half of them were for people. The other half were built into automobiles. GM, BMW and others have teamed up with AT&T to enable LTE in their vehicles, which is changing the way people traveNow is just the beginning of what LTE-enabled cars can offer drivers real-time traffic information, real-time vehicle diagnostics, and more. Soon, drivers will be able to tap into every element of the streets they drive on to analyse traffic patterns and make choices that reduce traffic jams.

Sure, the number of LTE enabled cars on the streets is small now, but that is not the only way the IoT is affecting transportation. Consider the Oyster Card, used as a key to London’s tube system since 2003. The cards have been collecting usage data, where people travel, when, and how often, which is then analysed and used to optimise the underground based on users’ specific needs.

2. Health and exercise

Tech junkies may fantasise about “gyms of the future” equipped with IoT devices, but the technology is already here, on the individual level.

Wearable tech, namely smartwatches and wristbands, have entered the market in droves, offering users all sorts of personalised data about their health and fitness activities. Several steps above a pedometer, smart watches can track your calories burned, heart rate, and a tonne of other health data.

And it’s not all about staying in shape;IoT devices can help monitor overall wellness. There are already many smartphone apps that can monitor glucose levels for diabetics and other health data. Meanwhile, the second generation iWatch and Simband are rumoured to include heart rate monitors and wellness trackers that doctors may be able to use to optimise care for their patients.

3. Home

A “smart house” is one of the first things people think of when you bring up IoT, and we are already far down the road to having them.

Security systems allow you to monitor your home from afar, while smartphone apps can help you optimise your home heating (think of Nest.com), make sure you turned off the stove, and optimise your lighting (think of Postscapes.com).

Perhaps most importantly, IoT technologies already allow people to keep track of children or pets left at home. You can even set up sensors that will notify you when certain doors in your house have been opened, a helpful tool for caregivers. Looks like our household objects will only get smarter. How long more will it be until we have some robots to perform every task for us?

4. Business

The IoT is also helping businesses optimise in a number of ways. Some stores are already using signals from shoppers’ smartphones to track their behaviour in-store, pairing it up with their online data to get the most in-depth customer profile possible. Retailers with apps can then use the data to deliver coupons and special promotional materials to the customer’s phone at the perfect time and place.

And it’s not just about optimising marketing tactics. The IoT equipment sensors are already being used to monitor machines and notify businesses of malfunctions or parts that need repair. A series of sensors, cameras and lasers can also be used to monitor the manufacturing process of materials to ensure quality (think of SightMachine.com).

5. Pollution and waste management

The IoT technologies are another great way to monitor pollution and find new ways to reduce waste.

Just consider AirQualityEgg.com, a device that monitors the air quality outside of your home or office, then aggregates the data online to offer metropolitan and regional data. This analysis is then used to measure how urban pollution policies are affecting specific areas.

WaterBee.eu is a smart irrigation system that helps farmers, golf courses and other enterprises conserve water by monitoring soil from different plots of land and adjusting water usage accordingly.

“The Internet of Things” was a term first coined by Kevin Ashton back in 1999. At the time, he was thinking about the future, and many still do. But one thing is for sure, the IoT is here today, and is affecting our lives more and more. These are just a few examples of the many ways the IoT is already penetrating the modern world.

Source: Business 2 Community

The Nigerian Senate has announced its plan to abolish the use of joint accounts between states and local governments – The Senate said these process is contained in the ongoing Constitution amendment – The Senate also said the process will impact more positively in local areas, help tackle rural-urban drift and rising security challenges
The Nigerian Senate on Sunday, October 30, said it has made provision for a complete abolishment of joint accounts between states and local government areas.
 In an interview with News agency of Nigeria (NAN) the chairman senate committee on state and local government affairs Abdullahi Abubakar said the process is made available in the ongoing constitution amendment. Abubakar also said there is plan to abolish states independent electoral commissions. He said the decision which was taken at a retreat in Lagos by speakers of states Houses of Assembly will provide room for the strengthening local government administration for maximum enactment that will benefit locals. Abubakar said the lawmakers and the eight assembly is currently dialoguing with state governors to allow the local governments function independently.
He also decried the low turnout for local government councils’ election, adding that out of 36 states in Nigeria, only 10 have conducted such elections. Abubakar said: “This means that 75 per cent of the local government leadership in the country occupy the offices unconstitutionally and unelected.” “From my tour to some local governments, the third tier of government has been rendered useless, empty, and nothing meaningful is happening at the grassroots government,’’ he said.
He restated that a strong local government administration would impact more positively in local areas, help tackle rural-urban drift and rising security challenges. “If our local governments function well, the youths in the areas would leave their houses and go to work and return home without any problem,” he said. 
It will be the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct local government polls. 
“We are doing all these so that political parties can vie for positions freely during local government elections without any fear of intimidation by the ruling party in a state.
 “We have made far reaching changes in the spirit of the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ Abubakar added. 
Meanwhile, the federal government has spent N3.577 trillion out of the full year – 2016 – budget of N6.060 trillion. This money spent, translates to a 79% performance of the pro-rated budget for the three quarters up to September 30. Also, the media adviser to the minister on budget and national planning ministry, Akpandem James in a statement said: “To date, budgeted personnel cost and debt service obligations have been fully met on schedule.” 

Penaldo!! Read how many Ronaldo’s goals are penalties!

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated breaking the milestone of 350 league goals against Alaves on Saturday

The famous striker converted one penalty, missed another and netted twice again for good measure to mark a hat-trick against the Basques.

According to the source, 20% of all his La Liga goals have come from 12 yards, with Ronaldo netting 53 of his 265 Madrid league efforts with penalties.

Goal adds that percentage then drops significantly for the UCL: 10 out of his 80 strikes, or 12.5% in Europe.

RIGHT?? Store In Alaska Begins Legal Sales Of Marijuana

A store in Alaska, a state in the United States, has begun retail marijuana sales, with buyers queueing up to buy legal marijuana on its first day. The store’s grand opening took place on Saturday, one which the operators referred to as the “high noon.” The store, ‘Herbal Outfitters, in Valdez, finally opened nearly two … Continue reading Store In Alaska Begins Legal Sales Of Marijuana

The post Store In Alaska Begins Legal Sales Of Marijuana appeared first on Channels Television.

NEW!! Bobby Maris – Dance f. Selebobo (Prod. By Selebobo)

After dropping his Dumex collaboration “Boggux” couple of months ago, Hustlers Entertainment New Skool music sensation – Bobby Maris enlists Selebobo for his massive follow-up single aptly dubbed “Dance”.

The groovy potential hit song promises to be the DJ’s anthem and will definitely top your playlist favourites. “Dance” was produced by Selebobo, mix and mastering by Mix Monster.

Hmm!! This is what happens if Buhari’s EFCC won’t probe Obasanjo

here is nothing unusual about Obasanjo – Onyejekwe’s failing to create 50 Nigerian billionaires as he intended. He has always failed Nigerians in every endeavour he has been involved. But the larger question remains the inability of our leaders to follow due process in exercising power. Our rulers often act as if they are kings of the jungle and that the laws of the land do not apply to them. They exude beastly instincts permeated with ruinous vendetta in manifesting congenital need to demonstrate crude power.

o Mrs. Alakija, until she was allotted oil wells, no one has really heard about her. She was never associated with any known business endeavour. She did not descend from any rich family or was previously married to a billionaire of credible means. She became a billionaire because she was allotted oil wells. She is emblematic of the mis-governance that has always characterized our clime. She got to be allotted oil wells in a system where nothing was ever fair and without due process. She only used her connections with our power aphrodisiacs euphemized as rulers, to get the oil wells.

Mrs. Alakija is a Yoruba woman. Like the retired General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma she got many oil wells because of her proximity to crude power in Nigeria. None of them is from Niger – Delta. With the publicly available list of the owners of oil wells in Nigeria, the people of the Niger Delta have been evidently short changed. How many Niger Deltans became billionaire as a result of owning oil wells?

The bottom line is that Mrs. Alakija did not get the oil wells through due process. When Obasanjo-Onyejekwe was acting like a bull in the china shop breaking everything in his path, he never followed due process in taking the oil well from Mrs. Alakija. The allocation of oil wells in Nigeria has always been part of crude exercise of power by our Military and civilian rulers. Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha, (the hero of President Mohammadu Buhari who never stole a dime of Nigeria’s money) were the guiltiest of this genre of power dispensation.

Be that as it may, the poverty of Obasanjo – Onyejekwe’s leadership was manifested in the reported expressed statement that he wanted to create 50 billionaires during his tenure. This poverty of leadership in one’s estimation could only be surpassed by that of former President Shehu Shagari and President Mohammadu Buhari. One is not very sure, given the positive economic indices under General Sanni Abacha whether he could be added to this inglorious list outside tendentious fascistic and dictatorial idiosyncrasy.

It is not surprising that Obasanjo- Onyejekwe could only think this way – making 50 billionaires during his tenure rather than building an economy that would create authentic billionaires. One of the questions raised by this revelation is whether Obasanjo – Onyejekwe is one of the new billionaires that were created during his tenure in Aso Rock? If so, how did he become a billionaire from having only 23,000.00 naira in his account in 1999 before assuming office? How much was his salary and emoluments as the President of Nigeria for him to become a billionaire in 2007?

If the politicized EFCC under President Buhari is not able to probe Obasanjo – Onyejekwe who has literally convicted himself of corruption through this public statement, then he needs to abandon his fake anti – corruption wars. It should not surprise any unbiased observer of Buhari administration if the probe of Obasanjo- Onyejekwe did not take place. It won’t take place because Buhari was not able to go after Ibrahim Babangida and Abubakar Abdulsalaam, apart from Obasanjo- Onyejekwe. He has not been able to do so because President Buhari himself is very corrupt in his personal life and during his services to Nigeria.

Apart from several evidences in public space on President Buhari’s personal acts of corruption and lack of integrity, his comfort with several crooks within his cabinet and other staff serves to confirm that President Buhari is a congenitally dishonest person. His refusal to probe former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, call his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari to order, fire his Chief of Army Staff, General Yusuf Buratai and hold accountable his Minister of Internal Affairs in Bello Dambazzau regardless of mountains of evidence against them, shows that Buhari is a fake anti-corruption President.

President Buhari’s inability to probe Obasanjo –Onyejekwe is derived from his own comfort with corruption. Hence he could only probe selectively. With so much noise made about Diezani Alison Madueke’s stealing, some of which were connected to General Dambazzau, to allow the latter to remain in his (Buhari’s) cabinet is functionally related to the poverty of leadership that Obasanjo – Onyejekwe himself manifested during his own tenure and has continued to manifest since he left office.

Deriving from the poverty of Obasanjo- Onyejekwe’s leadership of Nigeria is the abject deterioration of Nigeria’s infrastructures under him and which other presidents since then have inherited and have not been able to do anything about. Rather than concentrate on building Nigeria’s economy through the development of our infrastructures – roads, hospitals, educational institutions, judiciary, airports, water ways, the police, the Armed Forces, agriculture, industrialization among many others – he was busy building the so-called billionaires who contributed little or nothing to the country’s economy.

It is very evident that Obasanjo – Onyejekwe is a billionaire today given his new assets accumulated since 1999 and known to the public. But Nigerians do not have a list of the 24 other billionaires that he made during his tenure less Mrs. Alakija that he has admitted publicly as being one of them. Since this is something that Obasanjo – Onyejekwe is very proud of as part of his own achievements, even though he considered himself a failure in this regard, he should be able to come out and tell Nigerians who are these billionaires that he made.

In making this disclosure, Obasanjo – Onyejekwe should also avail Nigerians with how these people made their billions from the Nigerian economy under him. What kind of jobs did they do or create? What kind of contracts did they execute? What were the processes followed in empowering them? Or were they just conduits to steal the commonwealth and eventually took their own shares of billions that passed through them? By releasing their list, Nigerians would be able to establish their pedigree and understand if there is the need for them all to be probed to return Nigeria’s billions.

If it is discovered that Obasanjo – Onyejekwe’s billionaires have actually bilked the country, then the EFCC should invite him for a meeting. If Buhari’s EFCC would not go after President Obasanjo – Onyejekwe and his billionaires to establish if their billions were stolen from Nigerians, should we still be talking of any war on corruption? Any benefit of the doubt given to President Buhari based on his fake integrity ought to become null and void. Or is this war on corruption only meant for certain Nigerians and not others?

President Buhari should know, assuming he has the intellectual ability to understand, that on this war on corruption, he could only deceive some of the people some of the times but not all the peoples all of the times. Nigerians are not stupid and they are paying attention.

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”

– John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961

See!! Mistakes most sales people make

If you make a mistake that causes you to lose a sale, what do you do? You make adjustments to ensure it doesn’t happen again, of course.

Salespeople never want to make the same mistakes repeatedly and yet they do because they don’t realise they’re making the mistakes in the first place. It’s impossible to correct a mistake you aren’t aware of.

The reality is, most salespeople make the same few mistakes in every sales meeting, and these crushing errors are killing their sales. The mistakes often go unnoticed, and the vast majority of salespeople never even realize they’re making them. This video explains it all.

Fortunately, you’re about to find out exactly what these pitfalls are and how to avoid them so you dominate your competition. Here are the three crushing mistakes most salespeople make. Be honest: Are you making them too?

You sell like everyone else

How did you first learn to sell? Chances are, someone taught you. But was that person truly a sales expert? For most salespeople, the answer is no.

In fact, many salespeople are trained by people, who don’t even have a proven approach to selling. They’re just regurgitating the same old ideas over and over again. As a result, most salespeople learn the same ineffective sales approach, and they lose out on sales.

Instead of making this fatal mistake, seek out a sales expert, who can train you in an approach that’s proven to work. Don’t sell like everyone else. Instead, create your own system from scratch; learn a proven method; and follow it.

 You make up questions as you go

Some salespeople understand the importance of asking questions throughout a sales presentation while others just wing it as they go. Not all questions are created equal, and a haphazard approach to questions won’t help you close more sales. In fact, it will make you lose sales.

Some questions are essentially useless, such as questions that are either too product-focused or close-ended. For example, asking, “Would you like the product in blue or red?” does nothing to help you close the deal. Instead, focus on questions that will encourage your prospect to open up about their key challenges and how you can really help them.

It’s time to craft a clear script of exactly what you’re going to ask your prospects. Jot down seven to 10 specific questions you’ll ask every single time you’re in front of a prospect, and you’ll be much more effective. Take it a step further – while also saving time and energy – and borrow questions from a proven, systematic approach to improve your chances of closing the sale.

 You prospect sporadically

How many prospecting calls do you have to make in order to hit your annual sales goal? Very few salespeople actually know the answer to this question, and that’s a huge mistake. Successful salespeople understand exactly what they must do on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis in order to meet their sales goals.

Without a clear understanding of the daily prospecting activities associated with their sales goals, most salespeople allow prospecting to fall by the wayside. Once their current sales wrap up, there’s nothing waiting in the pipeline. Don’t make this common prospecting mistake. Instead of sporadically prospecting, form a plan to consistently prospect to ensure you meet your annual sales goal.

Be very clear about what you must do every single day.

• How many calls do you have to make?
• How many referrals or introductions do you need to ask for?
• How many meetings should you set?
• How many customers should you be speaking to on a regular basis?

Finding the answers to these questions will give you clarity, and empower you to stay on track every day.

Suspension of ASUU Members not to Victimise union – AAUA

he authorities of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, has said that the recent suspension of some lecturers in the institution is not aimed at suppressing the labour unions in the institution.

The lecturers, who were leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, AAUA chapter, were suspended a few weeks ago for allegedly disturbing the peace of the institution.

The affected ASUU members include the chairman of the institution’s branch of ASUU, Dr. Sola Fayose; the immediate past Chairman, Dr. Busuyi Mekusi; Vice-Chairman, Dr. Dorcas Alase, and Assistant Secretary of the union, Dr. Sola Olorunfemi, as well as one ex-officio member.

In a statement issued by the Registrar of the institution, Mr. Michael Ayeerun, on Monday, the institution said that it took the action as part of its routine administrative procedure aimed at restoring sanity and order.

 The statement read in part, “The suspended lecturers were disciplined because they went round the campus disrupting normal academic activities, and prevented others from carrying out their assigned academic and administrative duties and not because they were mostly members of the executives of the local chapter of the ASUU, as being insinuated in some quarters.

“They were suspended in line with the extant laws of the university after a head of department and a dean of faculty wrote to the management alleging physical and verbal assaults on them and the disruption of their departmental and faculty board meetings by the suspended lecturers.”

OK NAH!! Iyanya Dumps Triple MG, Signs To Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records.

or sometime now, there have been speculations about Iyana leaving Ubi Franklin’s Triple MG Records but these aren’t speculations anymore as Iyanya officially got signed on to Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records.

Earlier on in the day, Don Jazzy took to social media to announce the big surprise. Also, Iyanya has released a new record under the Mavin Imprint titled “Up To Something” featuring Don Jazzy and Dr. Sid.

SMD is pleased to welcome @Iyanya to the Mavin Family. Pls join us to welcome him & let the world know that we #Up2Sumting. #MavinActivated pic.twitter.com/I2lnIeo8Sf

— DON JAZZY (@DONJAZZY) October 31, 2016

The post Iyanya Dumps Triple MG, Signs To Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records appeared first on tooXclusive.

See This!! CBN warns against patronage of ‘wonder banks’

The Central Bank of Nigeria on Monday warned Nigerians against patronising what it called ‘wonder banks’, stating that their activities were not regulated by it.

The Head, Consumer Protection Department, CBN, Hajiya Kadija Kassim, stated this during a mentoring programme for students of the Government Secondary School, Suleja, Niger State.

The mentoring programme, which was held simultaneously in over 200 schools, was part of activities to mark the World Savings Day.

The apex bank’s warning is coming at a time when the huge unemployment situation in the country is making a lot of people to take interest in an online investment scheme tagged: ‘MMM Federal Republic of Nigeria (nigeria.mmm.net)’.

The platform has embarked on an aggressive online media campaign to lure the investing public to participate in what it called “mutual aid financial network,” with a monthly investment return of 30 per cent.

Kassim, while responding to a question asked by one of the students, described the scheme as fraudulent since it was not supported by any business model.

She said, “We have heard about the activities of MMM, but I want to warn you against it because they are wonder banks that are not regulated.

“Desist from their activities because they are fraudulent.”

She said the theme of this year’s World Savings Day, ‘Don’t save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving’, would assist in creating the needed awareness on the need to save.

She added, “The World Savings Day is a tradition created with the objective of stressing the importance of savings for modern economies and individuals alike.

“The primary objective is to increase awareness on financial literacy among various segments of the general public to sensitise them to the importance of saving, earning a livelihood, inculcating a savings habit, and generating employment and entrepreneurship for personal and national development.”

Better!! Lagos trains 700 Residents To Reduce Disasters

No fewer than 700 residents of Lagos State across the 57 local government and local council development areas have been trained in disaster and emergency management.

The two-day training, which held at the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency Relief Camp in Igando, was to build the capacity of residents to handle disasters before the arrival of emergency agencies.

According to the General Manager of LASEMA, Mr. Adeshina Tiamiyu, the high population density of the state made the training a necessity.

He explained that the volunteers, who applied through the Internet, were expected to improve their responses to disasters.

He said, “The trainees are about 700 people and are primarily those who responded to the call for volunteers when we put up the publicity on the Internet. They didn’t go through any selection process.

“The whole idea is to bring emergency management to the communities because they bear the brunt of emergencies and disasters. It is only wise, therefore, that a solid foundation be laid for emergency and disaster management at the community level.”

The state Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Relations,  Mr. Seye Oladejo, said there had been improvements in the management of disasters and emergencies in the state due to the procurement of equipment by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration.

Aside LASEMA officials, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Lagos State Fire Service, the National Emergency Management Agency, and other stakeholders, including religious organisations, participated in the training.

The volunteers were given basic protective equipment such as safety boots, helmets and safety goggles.

Appalling!! Police loot Ajibawo community, torture farmer to death..

A 42-year-old farmer, Segun Elegbede, has died in the custody of policemen from the Magbon Police Division, Ogun State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Segun was tortured before being abducted by a team of policemen from the Anti-Robbery Squad of the state, who invaded Ajibawo village, in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area.

The policemen were alleged to have looted shops in the community after which they descended on the victim.

He was said to have been taken away to the division and prevented from seeing friends and family members.

Seven days after he was arrested, a member of his family was reportedly called on the telephone that he was dead and his corpse deposited in a morgue.

A hairdresser in Ajibawo, Modinat Akinola, said no one knew the reason for the attack which occurred on October 14, 2016, adding that her shop was among those looted by the policemen.

She said, “On that day, I saw about four policemen around 3pm; they came in a commercial bus. Suddenly they started shooting, and everybody fled.

“I tried to hide inside my shop with my two children. Other policemen later arrived in a patrol van. They broke into my shop and damaged my refrigerator and other electronics.

“They took away my phones, recharge cards, ATM cards, money, canned malt, tin milk and bottled drinks, among others. The value of everything is about N400,000. A man, who was sleeping in the house beside my shop, was attacked and taken away that day.”

Akinola said she later reported the incident at the Atan Ota Police Station.

The wife of the victim, Fatimoh Elegbede, said she was not around, adding that she was alerted to the attack around 5pm.

“When I got back to the community, everywhere was deserted. When I entered our house, I saw that it had been vandalised.

“When I got to Magbon Police Division, I was not allowed to see my husband; they kept asking me to exercise patience. After seven days, the police called my husband’s sister that she should come for his corpse,” she added.

The family lawyer, John Aina, described the incident as unfortunate, saying the police had  refused to disclose where the corpse of the victim was deposited.

Aina, who had petitioned the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Iliasu, said the police must investigate the death and bring the perpetrators to book.

He said, “The policemen, before leaving the village, arrested some okada (motorcycle) riders and took away their motorcycles. They were released a few days later. But the deceased, who was arrested while sleeping, was kept from seeing his family until he was declared dead.

“Why did the officers invade the village that day? Why was the deceased arrested? Why did the policemen loot shops in the area? Why was Mr. Segun Elegbede not charged to court promptly if he committed any crime? Why wasn’t he released on bail or allowed to see his family members? Where are the corpse and the autopsy report? The police authorities must investigate these issues. We will be taking appropriate legal actions against the police on the matter.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he was not aware of the incident, promising to get back to our correspondent.

He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

D.Trump warns of ‘constitutional crisis’ if H.Clinton elected

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton traded fierce campaign trail attacks Monday, as the Republican underdog barnstormed Democratic territory in the race’s final week and warned of a “constitutional crisis” should his rival win the White House.

Eight days from Election Day, the provocative billionaire and the scandal-hit Democrat followed in the spirit of the bruising 2016 race by spending more time branding each other unfit to lead as they did highlighting their own strengths to voters.

 Trump, aiming to disprove polls that show him trailing nationally and in key swing states, campaigned in Michigan, where Clinton has led every poll since the race began, hoping to capitalize on the controversy over the FBI’s renewed focus on his rival’s emails.

 Allegations that Clinton put America at risk by using a private email server while secretary of state were thrust back into the spotlight Friday when FBI director James Comey said the bureau would study newly discovered messages possibly related to Clinton.

The bombshell announcement could shift the momentum in a race where Clinton was increasingly seen as the prohibitive favorite.

But a new NBC News/SurveyMonkey weekly tracking poll released Monday showed virtually no change in standing following the revelations, with Clinton maintaining a six-point lead over Trump, 47 percent to 41 percent.

Clinton, furious at Comey for making his announcement without providing evidence of wrongdoing, addressed the issue head on in Kent, Ohio.

“Now they apparently want to look at emails of one of my staffers. And by all means they should,” she told a rally in the crucial swing state.

“And I am sure they will reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the last year: there is no case here.”

Trump countered that lingering suspicions against Clinton meant her election “would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford.”

He predicted that “we would have a criminal trial for a sitting president,” and chastised Clinton for seeking to blame others for the scandal that has persisted for 20 months.

“She has brought all of this on herself,” he said.

See This! Skye Bank Sacks More 50 Workers

About four months after it disengaged about 200 of its workers, Skye Bank Plc has retrenched about 50 members of staff, including those in outsourced and auxiliary functions.

Although the number of the affected non-core employees could not be ascertained since they were not direct workers of the bank, it was gathered that the reasons for their exit ranged from non-performance, disciplinary issues as well as rightsizing by the lender.

It was further gathered that most of the affected personnel were in outsourced functions like tellers, drivers and internal security guards.

When contacted on the development, the Head, Corporate and Brand Communication, Skye Bank, Mr. Nduneche Ezurike, confirmed the exit of the affected workers, adding that the management of the bank approved the payment of generous entitlements and severance packages to them as contained in their engagement letters and as agreed with the workers’ union.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had on July 4 sacked the Chairman, Skye Bank, Mr. Olatunde Ayeni; Managing Director, Timothy Oguntayo; Deputy Managing Director, Mrs. Amaka Onwughalu; non-executive directors, Mr. Victor Odozi, Mr. Babajide Agbabiaka, Dr. Jason Fadeyi, Mr. Kunle Aluko, Mr. Victor Adenigbagbe, Mr. Abdul Bello and Hajiya Amunna Lawan Ali; and the two longest-serving Executive Directors, Mr. Dotun Adeniyi and Mrs. Ibiye Ekong.

In their place, the CBN announced Alhaji Muhammad Ahmad as the new chairman, while Mr. Adetokunbo Abiru was also named as the new managing director.

Other members of the reconstituted board are Bayo Sanni, Idris Yakubu, Markie Idowu and Abimbola Izu, all of who had been serving as executive directors of the lender before now.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had explained that the “proactive moves have become unavoidable in view of the persistent failure of Skye Bank to meet minimum thresholds in critical prudential and adequacy ratios, which has culminated in the bank’s permanent presence at the CBN lending window”.

The bank’s reconstituted Board was mandated to run a lean and efficient organisation; control costs; aggressively recover debts owed it; grow deposits; and shore up its liquidity position.

Writers’ Village: ANA yet to recover C of O

The 35th International Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors has come and gone, but the experience will linger in the memories of many of its members and guests for awhile.

At the annual event, held in Abuja between October 27 and 29, members of the association made out time to discuss the status of the proposed Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village.

Also, in fulfilment of its promise, the national executive council of the association took the entire gathering on a tour of the village, which is situated in Mpape, on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory.

The purpose of the visit, as spelt out previously, was to enable other members of the writers’ body to view the village for the first time and to bring an end to the controversy surrounding its existence.

Addressing the visitors, ANA President, Denja Abdullahi, said, “This is our land. It was given to us in 1981 by the late Major-Gen Mamman Vatsa. But it has a long history.”

Part of the history of the proposed site of the Writers’ Village, according to Abdullahi, was a long-drawn struggle between ANA and a succession of speculators (or land grabbers) for possession of the parcel of land.

Finally, the association won a court case, he noted, against its major accuser, Home Securities Limited. But it was instructed by the court to pay the company the sum of N10m in damages or prepare to lose the property in contention.

In spite of the efforts of its leadership at the time, ANA was unable to raise the funds until the chairman of Karlie Mobs Ventures Limited, Col Kayode Shaw (retd.), intervened and paid the money.

Describing Shaw’s intervention as a ‘rescue mission’, Abdullahi informed the gathering that the association entered an agreement with KMVL, in which it authorised the latter to sell some portions of the land in Mpape and use the proceeds to develop the rest.

But, as ANA and Shaw himself would discover in due course, it was one thing to draw up a plan for the development of the land and another thing to keep it from the clutches of desperate land grabbers.

“Were it not for Shaw’s status as an ex-serviceman and his personal courage, ANA would have lost this parcel of land. Many vicious land speculators fought bitterly to take it away from us. At a point, somebody paid about N1bn to a third party who had pretended to be the owner of the land.

“This land has remained undeveloped for a long time. Initially the size was about 60 hectares. But a chunk of it has been stolen by strangers who have now erected structures on it.

“On one occasion, an army of thugs surrounded this land and threatened to attack us. On another occasion, we found about 50 armed policemen keeping vigil here. Different people, including top-ranking security personnel, have tried hard to carve out chunks of the land for themselves,” Abdullahi said to his shocked audience.

In spite of the efforts to secure the land from speculators, the Certificate of Occupancy has remained out of the reach of ANA. “Despite all our efforts to recover the certificate of occupancy, the man holding it has refused to hand it to us,” Abdullahi said.

But, Shaw, who was present during the visit, gave the assurance that he would retrieve the document by the end of 2016. He said, “The challenge we have is the issue of collateral. We have been able to process and sign the certificate of occupancy. We are working ahead and I believe that by the end of the year, we shall get it.”

Kalu - If Fashola were Igbo, he would have left Tinubu

A former Governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, has said Igbo people are better traders than politicians.

Kalu said the lack of understanding of politics and the indiscipline of Igbo politicians were responsible for what he called the political backwardness of the South-East.

He said the political fortune of the Igbo would have been better had their politicians approached politics like the Yoruba.

Kalu said Igbo politicians had a lot to learn from how a former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, and his predecessor, Bola Tinubu, handled their differences during Fashola’s second term.

He said things would have been different if his own successor, Theodore Orji, had the same approach as Fashola.

Kalu, who said most of the Igbo elite were selfish, said the Igbo should blame themselves and not the Federal Government for their woes.

The Editor-in-Chief of The Interview magazine, Mr. Azu Ishiekwene, in a statement of Monday, quoted Kalu as saying this in a recent interview he granted the magazine.

According to Ishiekwene, Kalu told The Interview magazine that, “Let me tell you, there were more problems between (Bola) Tinubu and (Babatunde) Fashola than there were between me and Theodore Orji. But it is the discipline of the Yoruba that kept them at bay.

“The Igbo have no discipline in terms of politics. They are very good traders; they’re good in anything they do, but they don’t understand politics.”

Kalu recalled a conversation he had with President Muhammadu Buhari, where the President wondered aloud “why previous high-profile Igbo appointees had done nothing for the region.”

According to Ishiekwene, Kalu barred his mind on the agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra as well as the travail of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

 He also spoke on “his relationship with former President Ibrahim Babangida and former Governor Ikedim Ohakim; the recent statement of former Governor Peter Obi; and allegations that while he governed Abia for eight years, his mother ruled,” Ishiekwene said.

Gionee invests $10m in Nigeria

Gionee Communication Equipment Company Limited said it had invested over $10m in the Nigerian market, with $8m of the sum invested this year.

It also said that it planned to invest a total of $12m in the nation’s telecommunication industry in 2017.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Chen Lei, disclosed these in Lagos, during the launch of Gionee S6s with Selfie flashlight, a 5.50-inch touchscreen display smartphone with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels at a PPI of 401 pixels per inch.

He added that the company, which was launched in Nigeria in 2011, had established over 500 retail outlets across the country.

“This year alone, we have invested $8m. When we launched in the market in 2011, we took our time to study the business climate and started investing more in 2014. Till date, we have launched $10m in Nigeria. For next year (2017), our budget for the market is $12m,” Lei said.

Speaking on the target market segment, he said that Gionee products appealed to all stratums of the society.

On his part, the Head, Marketing, Gionee Nigeria, Somoye Habeeb, said, “It is not just a brand, but a strong one in the industry. How do I mean? It has broken record(s) as its phones’ batteries last longer than others. It is safe with rugged security chips. There are more to this brand, which are the unique selling prepositions.”

He added, “Our management team advocates a scientific and standardised enterprise management mode, with a strong sense
of innovation. The constant pursuit of professionalism and innovation is the foundation of sustainable development at Gionee.”

Lei, who did not rule out the possibility of setting up a manufacturing plant in Nigeria in future, said that the phone’s signature, ‘From smartphone to smilephone’, implied their belief that having a beautiful life would come from sharing happiness with others, anytime and anywhere.

“It comes from the joy of listening to your voice from a thousand miles away; it comes from capturing the moment we hug each other. It is seeing your smile in the sunshine.

“For a smile, we empower ourselves with technology to create smart products. For a smile, we ensure superior quality by attending to every detail. For a smile, we offer seamless user experiences through constant improvement. We are able to share every moment of joy in our lives with all those smiling faces,” he added.

OK O!! Sharia police arrest 11 women‎ for SEX, hemp and alcohol in Kano

The Faggae Outpost of the Kano state hisbah board also known as Sharia police has started prosecution of 11 women on Monday, October 31.

The suspects were detained by by the Faggae local government officers around the Sabongari area for allegedly drinking alcohol, smoking cannabis or having relationship out of marriage.

Four suspects are divorcees with children, while one of them is in the third month of pregnancy. All of them were taken to central prisons in Kano, where they are awaiting trial that will take place in November 14.

Salisu Umar, the сommander of special services of the board, said: “The suspects are females between the ages of 21 and 24 and were apprehended around midnight at beer parlours in Faringida and Abedie Road in Sabongari. We have brought them before a competent Sharia court for prosecution.”

Mr Umar described the crimes as social vices and stressed that the board would intensify its efforts in stopping such acts and punish whoever found guilty.

It’s unclear whether the men with whom women allegedly had affairs were arrested and prosecuted.

AKWA IBOM CHRISTMAS CAROLS FESTIVAL 2016

                                     

Official Announcement of 9th Edition’s Date and Appearances

The Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols Festival is set for this year and is slated to hold on Saturday, December 17th at the Uyo Township Stadium, along Udo Umana Street, by 5pm. The Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols Festival 2016 will feature multiple award winning international gospel artiste, Don Moen. The event will also have the PRM band from the United Kingdom, The Kayamba Africa Choral Ensemble and the Kenya Boys Choir ministering. Some of Nigerias most renowned gospel singers and performers like Sammie Okposo, Buchi, Steve Crown, Elijah Oyelade, Rev. Fr. Patrick Edet, Esther Edoho, Julius Nglass and Perfecta Ekpo will also be gracing the event. The Ibom Orchestra, The Ibom Brass Band and the Akwa Ibom State Government Choir will join the globally acclaimed 10,000-man choir to render Carols in an awe-inspiring way on the occasion.

This Festival which had its debut in 2008, has grown in magnitude and repute as an evening of songs, praise and worship. The choir that will sing Christmas Carols at the event is a part of the choir cited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “Largest Group of Carol Singers in the World”. This event routinely gets bigger than the previous by at least 15 percent and statistics of the event in 2015 revealed a large pool of over 30,000 attendants, a TV viewership in excess of 30 million and over 7 million social media interactions. This year’s edition, same as previous years, is open to corporate partnership and has a wide range of benefits for partners.

The Christmas Carols Festival which is a Christian gathering will help strengthen the bond of unity in the State as well as create a conducive ambience for spiritual growth and peaceful co-existence among groups in the State and beyond as this year’s edition calls out to people of all walks of life from around the world to join in an evening of praise and worship. The theme of this year’s Carol Festival is “Let Our King Be Lifted High”.

The 9th edition of the Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols Festival – the second in the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel will be an evening that will live long in the memory and for good reason. The festival will be shown live on global broadcast media such as DSTV (on Africa Magic and dedicated channels), AIT, Channels TV and AKBC. Contact information and more about the Akwa Ibom Christmas festival is available on http://www.akcarolsfest.com/

PDP - Ambode is doing well

A former Governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, has said Igbo people are better traders than politicians.

Kalu said the lack of understanding of politics and the indiscipline of Igbo politicians were responsible for what he called the political backwardness of the South-East.

He said the political fortune of the Igbo would have been better had their politicians approached politics like the Yoruba.

Kalu said Igbo politicians had a lot to learn from how a former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, and his predecessor, Bola Tinubu, handled their differences during Fashola’s second term.

He said things would have been different if his own successor, Theodore Orji, had the same approach as Fashola.

Kalu, who said most of the Igbo elite were selfish, said the Igbo should blame themselves and not the Federal Government for their woes.

The Editor-in-Chief of The Interview magazine, Mr. Azu Ishiekwene, in a statement of Monday, quoted Kalu as saying this in a recent interview he granted the magazine.

According to Ishiekwene, Kalu told The Interview magazine that, “Let me tell you, there were more problems between (Bola) Tinubu and (Babatunde) Fashola than there were between me and Theodore Orji. But it is the discipline of the Yoruba that kept them at bay.

“The Igbo have no discipline in terms of politics. They are very good traders; they’re good in anything they do, but they don’t understand politics.”

Kalu recalled a conversation he had with President Muhammadu Buhari, where the President wondered aloud “why previous high-profile Igbo appointees had done nothing for the region.”

According to Ishiekwene, Kalu barred his mind on the agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra as well as the travail of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

 He also spoke on “his relationship with former President Ibrahim Babangida and former Governor Ikedim Ohakim; the recent statement of former Governor Peter Obi; and allegations that while he governed Abia for eight years, his mother ruled,” Ishiekwene said.

Biafra: Minister Says Agitators Not Speaking for Igbo People

The minister of foreign affairs Geofrey Onyeama has given his advice to all agitators for a Biafran state.

Onyeama who spoke over the weekend in Enugu state said all groups agitating for the independence of Biafra must adhere to the constitution and the diplomatic rules in achieving the demand.

He urged the group to desist from disorderliness and disruptive agitation as a means of justifying their emotion.

The minister also said the Biafra agitators are yet to establish a mandate of the Igbo nation as was the case in the United Kingdom where the Scottish separa­tists group have the man­date of their representatives at the parliament.

“I strongly believe the ag­itators are not speaking for Ndigbo as they do not have the mandate of the Igbo race to do so. My advice is for them to embrace dia­logue rather than violence at all times,” Onyeama said.

Onyeama also advised the people of South East and other tribes in Nigeria to continue their support for the All Progressives Congress-led government.

He said this support will help stir Nigeria out of the present socio-economic and politi­cal doldrums occasioned by endemic corruption from the previous administration in the country.

Onyeama also said that Pres­ident Muhammadu Buhari has put necessary mechanism in place to address the present economic crisis ravaging the country.

Also speaking, the Enugu State Chairman of the APC Ben Nwoye assured the national leadership of the party that the state chapter is high­ly committed in wrestling power from the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in 2019.

Nwoye said the existing political structures are currently been oiled and strengthened at all levels in the state.

Meanwhile, some Igbo leader have called on President Buhari to release the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.

The leaders during a World Igbo Summit Group led by a former senator Ike Nwachukwu said the Igbo race in committed to work for one Nigeria.

The group also released a 10-point communique calling for the release of Kanu and other detainees “since they do not constitute a threat to national security.”